Cotton-seed linter.



J. T. WEST.

COTTON SEED LINTERQ APPLICATION FILED JAN-26, i915- Patented May 7,1918.

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JAMES T. WEST, OF BOGKING'I-IAM, NORTH CAROLINA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

COTTON-SEED LINTER.

Patented May '7, 1918.

Application t January 26, 1915.. Serial No. 4,507.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Jelnns l. Wns'r, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Rockingham, in the'county of Richmond and State. of North Carolina, have invented new and useful Improvements in Cotton-Seed Lintors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvementsin cotton seed linters, i. a, machines interposed between the gin and the delinter for thoroughly cleaning the lint from the seed issuing from the gin. The cotton product obtained from thelinter is, as compared with that obtained from the delinter, composed of relatively long fibers, and if free 'from foreign matter possesses substantial commercial value.

The machine which forms the subject of the present invention has 0611 bliQ tures in common with the machine disclosed in my prior pending application Serial Number 864,651. notably.theelimination of the usual mote board andthe provision of specially arranged baflies for causing whirling or eddyin gcurrents of airin the lower portion of the cylinder casing, which currents are instrumental in producing the ultimate deposit, within said casing, of substantially all impurities or foreign matter.

' The principal object of the present inven tion is to provide .certain improvements in connection with the construction and arrangement of the bafiles for producing the whirling or eddying air currents above referred to, whereby the separation of impurities, foreignmatter or trash from the lint is accomplished with greater thoroughness and reliability and is substantiallycomplete both as to the heavier particles of trash or foreign matter andas to the lighterand finer parti- 'cles of trash or foreign matter.

A further object of the invention is to provide an arrangement of baflies whereby the air currentwhich issues from between the brush cylinder and the .ginsaws will be divided into two streams, the upper of which is of greater intensity and will carry the lint anda percentage of relatively fine trash, and the lower of which is of less in tensity and .will, for a portion of its travel, carry the heavier trash in {a direction favorable to the reliable precipitation of such heavier trash.

A further object of the invention is to provide an arrangement of baffles whereby two distinct air currents are produced, one

of which is utilized in the precipitation of the heavier particles of trash and the other of which, being a whirling current or eddy,

is used in theprecipitati'on of the lighter particles of trash. In this way, the recovery of substantially all the trash is provided for by substantially independent aircurrents which are suitably difierentiated n moae another with regard to theirsoecial'adaptability fpr the separation, respectively, of the heavier and finer particles of trash from the lint. A further objectof the invention is to provide an arrangement' of baflles whereby the a r current 1n which the heavier particles or trash. are suspended first travels downwardly for a considerable distance and thereafter travels horizontally toward the flue so that the heavier particles of trash, while moving with the air current as it travels downwardly, acquire suflici-ent downward momentum to'prevent them from being carried over, in any event, with the saidair currentas it changes into its horizontal path of travel.

In additiontothe novel arrangements of baffles above referred to, the invention includes an improved means for elfectinga recovery ofany cotton seed which may fall through the spaces between the gin saws.

above and other novel structural featuresand advantages will be made apparent as the j description proceeds.

embodiment of the invention is illus trated 1n the accompanying drawing whlch consist of a longitudinal sectionalviewshoiw brush cylinder l,ifioat 5 division plate 6' and feed spout 7.

As usual, the saws and brush cylinder are mounted in the upper portion, of the casing 1 and'said casing is open to the atmosphere at various places,"or example, in the lower portionof its rear wall, as at 18, adjacent the float 5, as at 9 and in' the front wall, as at 10. The opening 10 serves as a discharge mouth for the chute provided by the inclined grid 3 and those seedswhi'chare too large to pass between the bars of said grid and the adjoining saws issue from the easing 1 through the opening 10.

The casing 1 is connected by a flue 11 to the usual condenser 12, said fiue, as usual, leading from the rear side of the casing adjacent the lower side of the brush cylinder 4. i

The improved bailie arrangement for producing the eddying or whirling air currents in the lower portion of the cylinder casing, comprises a bafiie, designated generally as 13, which projects inwardly and clownwardly from the lower wall of theflue 11, a second baflie, designated generally as 14, which is arranged under the saws 2 and has a generally converging relation to the baflle 13, and a third baliie, designated generally as 15, and arranged under and adjacent the brush cylinder 4 and intermediate the baflles 13 and 14. The baffles 13 and 14 are somewhat widely separated at their lower ends to provide a relatively wide discharge space 16 through which the heavier particles of trash separated from the lint within the casing 1 are precipitated upon the floor of said casing.

The baffle 15 has a substantially vertical arrangement and is preferably of relatively short length, 6., shorter than the baflles 13 and 14, its function being to divide the downward air current induced by the rotation of the brush cylinder and the saws and issuing from between said brush cylinder and saws into two streams, one of which, of greater intensity,,flows between the baffle 15 and the brush cylinder, and for a portion of its travel follows the periphery of the brush cylinder, and the other of which, of less intensity, flows downwardly through the passage 17 defined between the baffles 14 and 15 and passes rearwardly under the lower end of the battle 15, thereafter merging with the stream which flows between the upper end of saidvbaffie 15 and the brush cylinder.

The heavier particles of trash or foreign matter pass downwardly through the passage 17, which passage is in substantial vertical alinementwith the discharge space 16 between the lower ends of the baffles 13 and 14:. The air stream flowing downwardly through the passage 17 does nothave suflicient strength or intensity to carry the heavier particles of trash rearwardly into the space above the baflle 13, and further, the momentum of the falling heavier particles of trash will prevent them from traveling rearwardly with the air current as it escapes from the passage 17, for which reasons, the heavier particles of trashas they issue from the lower end of the passage 17 fall through the space 16 upon the fioor of the linter casing.

In order to produce lint of substantial commercial value, it is necessary that the lint should be free not only of the heavier particles of trash, but also of the lighter particles of trash. The heavier particles of trash are separated, as above explained, by effecting their precipitation through the space 16 upon the fioor of the linter casing. The lighter particles of trash, however, are carried over with the lint in the air currents which circulate above the bafile l3 and it is for the purpose of separating the lighter particles of trash from the lint that the eddying or whirling air currents are principally employed in the present invention. The development of the eddying or whirling air currents in the space above the baflie 14: is secured by a number of factors, among which may be mentioned the converging relation of the baflies 13 and 14:, the preferably, though not necessarily, concave form 5 of the bafiles 13 and 14, the arrangement of said bafiie 13 whereby its upper end projects at an angle across the lower portion of the lower inlet end of the flue 11, the provision of transverse lips or flanges 18 at appropriate intervals on the baliie 13, and the provision of the baffle 15. The baflie 14, in the embodiment disclosed and now preferred, has an upper concave portion 14- which is formed to direct the air stream flowing downwardly through the passage 17 into the space above the bafiie 13 and a lower concave portion 1 1 which is formed to cooperate with the baflle 13 in producing the above described whirling motion of the air currents in the space above thebafiie 13.

The lighter particles of trash separated from the lint above the bafiie 13 are precipitated in a receptacle 19 which is preferably formed as a part of the baffle 13 and extends transversely across the linter casing. The battle 13 includes in its make-up a screening panel 20 which is fitted in the mouth of the said receptacle and through which the fine trash passes into the receptacle. The receptacle 19 is provided with a hinged or otherwise displaceable bottom panel 21 which may be opened when desired to permit the contents of said receptacle to discharge therefrom upon the floor of the linter casing. The panel 21 is, however, normally closed to avoid interference with the development of the whirling air currents. The fine trash is heavier than the lint and, hence, tends to sink to the lower portion of the space above the baffle 13. The air currents circulating above the bafiie 13 comprise a stream principally made up of the air induced between the brush cylinder and the saws and which flows with substantial. directness into the flue 11 and a second stream principally made up of the air entering the casing through the opening 8 and of the air circulating through the passage 17 such second stream circulating as an eddying or 130 whirling current immediately above the baffle 13 and under. the stream which passes directly into the fine 11. The lint is carried in the upper strata of the air currents with substantial directness into the flue 11. The line trash which, as stated, tends to sink to the lower portion of the space above the baffle 13, is caughtin the eddying or whirling air current and in the course of the endless circulation of said whirling air current 'or eddy, sinking lower all the while, ultimately passes through the screening panel 20 into the receptacle 19.

The air currents which pass into the flue 11 carry practically all the lint to the condenser and may carry a small, almost negligible percentage of fine trash, toeffec't the ultimate separation of whichthe arrangement shown in my s'aidpendin'g application Serial No. 864,651 may be employed, such arrangement comprising a receptacle or trap 24 setinto the lower wall of the flue 11 and extending from the inlet end of said flue, a screening panel 25 covering the mouth of the receptaclefl l, and transverse baffles 26 arranged at suitable intervals along the flue 11 and projecting upwardly across said flue, one of said battles 26, being arranged midway ofgthc flue, preferably above the panel 25, and another one being arranged adjacent the condenser ,12. i j t When the cotton reaches the condenser 12, it is practically absolutely free from trash and, hence, is of very superior quality. The quantum of the cotton 'obtainedis increased because not only is substantially all of the trash separated fromth'e cotton, but conversely, substantiallyall of the cotton is "eparated from thetrash. y

.In order to regulate the intensity of the draft through the flue 11', it is preferred ,to employ a battle 22 which is arranged at the upper side of the inlet end of the fine 11 and has its rear portion formed as a lip which projects somewhat into jsaidflue, restricting the inlet area thereof. Thebaflle 221s adjustable in a direction longitudinally of the machine; for this purpose, be-

ing formed withslot's through which pass the bolt or other fastenings 23 employed to secure the baffle 22 in position.

The several baille's referred to extend throughout the width'of the casing 1 and are secured to the side walls of said casing in any suitable manner. Preferably, the battles have at their ends apertured attachment lugs 27 for the reception of suitable fastening screws. In the case of the baffle 18, the lugs 27 are 'slotted to provide for slight upward and downward adjustments of said bafiie with a view to regulating the air current conditions in accordance with the character of the inateria-litreated and 1 other exigencies of use. The baffle 13 pref- "erably has at its upperend a transviarsehooklike flange 28 which engages over a transverse upward projection 29 provided at the lower end of the lower wall of the flue 11 in order a that said baffle may be supported partly from said flue, whereby the assemblage and adjustment thereof in the linter casing will be greatly facilitated.

The seed separated by the grid 3 and escaping through the opening 10 falls into a receptacle 30 preferably provided for itsreception. A. percentage of the seedwill, however, escape through the barstof the grid 3 and the adjacent gin saws; Such escaping seed is ordinarily lost, there being no separation thereof from the precipitated trash. One of the features of the present invention consists in the provision of a plate 31 which extends entirely across the casing from a point between the brush cylinder and the saws, forwardly and downwardly to a ,point above the receptable 30. Any seed which may escape through the grid 3 and between the saws will fall upon the plate 31 and will slide along said plate until it discharges from the lower end thereof into the receptacle 30. a t

a The invention is not limited to the exact details of construction shown, nor to the combination in one structure of all of its several features, and no specific description I my invention, I clalm 1. In a cotton seed linter, a casing having one of which carries lint and light motes and flows over said baflle directly toward said line and the other of which carries heavier motes and flows downwardly through said air rpassage and under said baflie toward said flue.

r 2. In a cotton seed linter, a casinghaving an outlet line and having openings for the admission of air, means acting to induce an air current throu h said casing and into said flue, means to clean cotton fiber from. cotton seed whereby the separated fiber passes into saidcasing above and with said said respective means to lprovide a vertical air passage in line with the air current aircurrent, a pair of battles arranged under which issues from between said means, the baifle nearest said flue being arranged to divide said air current into two streams, one of which carries lint and light motes and flows over said bafiie directly toward said flue, and the other of which carries heavier motes and flows downwardly through sald air passage and under said baflie toward said flue, and a third baflie arranged adjacent the inlet of said flue and constructed to coact with said first-named baflies in developing a whirling air current between said passage and said flue, the light motes being caught in said whirling current and being precipitated-by gravity in the course of the action of said current, the lower end of thethird baffle being somewhat widely separated from the lower ends of the other battles to provide a space alining with said passage through which heavier motes are precipitated in advance of said whirling air current. V

' 3. In a cotton seed linter, a casing having an outlet flue and having openings for the admission of air, means acting to induce an air current through said casin and into said flue, means to clean cotton fiber from cotton seed whereby the separated fiber passes into said casing above and with said air current,a pair of baflies arranged under said respective means to provide a vertical air passage inline with the air current which issues from between said means, the

the course of the action of said current, the

lower end of the third balfle being somewhat widely separated from the lower ends of the other battles to provide a space alining with said passage through which heavier motes are precipitated in advance of said whirling air current, and a receptacle set into sai third battle to receive the motes precipitated by said whirling air current and provided with a screening panel arranged in the plane of said baflie.

4. In a cotton seed linter, a casing having an outlet flue and having openings for the admissionof air,-means acting to induce an air current through said casing and into'said flue, means to clean cotton fiber from cotton seed whereby the motes and separated fiber pass into said air current and a system of cooperating baflies for developing from said air current a mote laden stream which has an initial downward travel and a subsequent whirling motion, the downward travel of said stream eflecting the precipitation, by combined gravity and momentum, of the heavier motes and the whirling motion efiecting the independent precipitation, by gravity, of the lighter motes.

5. In a cotton seed linter, a casing having an outlet flue and having openings for the admission of air, means acting to induce an air current through said casing and into said flue, means to clean cotton fiber from cotton seed whereby the motes and separatedfiber pass into said air current, a system of cooperating battles for developing from said air current a mote laden stream which has an initial downward travel and a subsequent whirling motion, the downward travel of said stream effecting the precipitation, by combined gravity and momentum, of the heavier motes and the whirling motion effecting the independent precipitation, by gravity, of the lighter motes, and a receptacle associated with one of said bafiles to receive the precipitated lighter motes, said receptacle being provided with a screening cover.

6. In a cotton seed linter, a casing having an outlet flue and having openings for the admission of air, means acting to induce an air current through said casing and into said flue, means to"clean cotton fiber from cotton seed whereby the motes and separated fiber pass into said air current, a baflie projecting inwardly and downwardly from the lower side of the inlet of said flue and provided with a mote receptacle and a screening cover for said receptacle and means, in cooperation with said battle for developing from said air current a mote laden air stream which has an initial downward travel whereby to precipitate the heavier motes at a point in advance of said bafiie and a subsequent travel over said bafiie whereby to precipitate the lighter motes in said receptacle.

7. In a cottonseed linter, a casing having an outlet flue and having openings for the admission of air, means acting to induce an air current through said casing and into said flue, means to clean cotton fiber from cotton seed whereby the motes and separated fiber pass into said air current, and means for developing from said air current a stream laden with motes which has an initial downward travel whereby the heavier motes are precipitated by combined gravity and momentum and a subsequent travel toward said flue.

8. In a cotton seed linter, a casing having an outlet, flue and having openings for the admission of air, gin saws for cleaning cotton fiber from cotton seed, a brush cyl ,inder coasting with said gin saws and arrangedintermediate the same said flue and downwardly directed baflies terminating short of the bottoni oif the casingand providing a relatively narrow vertical passage for the continuous downward circulation of a mote laden air stream developed from the air current induced by said brush" cylinder, whereby the heavier motes will be precipitated by combined gravity and momentum, said bafllesbeing arranged, respectively, unders'aid saws and under said brush cylinder,

9. In a cotton seed linter, a casing having an outlet flue and having openings for the admission of air, gin saws for cleaning cotton fiber from cotton seed, a brush cylinder 'coacting with said gin saws and arranged b-rush cylinder being arranged to divide said air current into two streams, one of which passes downwardly through said vertical passage, and the other of which passes directly toward said flue and between said batlie and brush cylinder.

10. In a cotton seed linter, a casing having an outlet flue and having openings for the admission of air, gin saws for cleaning cotton fiber from cotton seed, a brush cylinder coacting with said gin saws and arranged intermediate the same and said flue, downwardly directed battles terminating short of the bottom of the casing'a'nd providing a vertical passage for the downward circulation of the air current induced by said brush cylinder, said baflies being arranged, respectively, under said saws and under said brush cylinder, and a third battle projecting inwardly and downwardly from the lower end of the flue and terminating above the bottom of the casing'and at a distance from said first-named baffles, said third baifle being constructed to coactwith the first-named battles in developing a whirling motion in the air currents during their travel toward the flue.

11. In a cotton seed linter, a casing having .an outlet flue and having openings for the admission of air, gin saws for cleaning cotton fiber from cotton seed, a brush cylinder coacting with said gin saws and arranged intermediate the same and said flue, downwardly directed bafl'les terminating short of the bottom of the casing and providing a vertical passage for the downward circulation of the air current induced by said brush cylinder, said battles being arranged,

respectively, under said saws and under said brush cylinder, the baflie under said brush til cylinder being arranged to divide said air current into two streams-one of which passes downwardly throughsaid vertical passage, and the other of which passes directly toward'said flue and between said baflie and said brush cylinder, and a third baflie proj ectin'g'inwardly and downwardly from the lower end of the flue and terminating above the bottom of the casing and at a distance from said first-named battles, said third baffle being constructed to coact with the firstnamed battles in developing a whirling motion in the air currents during their travel toward the flue.

12. In a cotton seed linter, a casing having an outlet flue and having openings for the admission of air, gin saws for cleaning cotton fiber from cotton seed, a brush cylinder coacting with said gin saws and arranged intermediate the same and said flue, downwardly directed battles terminating short of the bottom of the casing and providing a vertical passage for the downward circulation of the air current induced by said brush cylinder, said baflies being arranged, respectively, under said saws and under said brush cylinder, a third baffle projecting inwardly and downwardly from the lower end of the flue and terminating above the bottom of the casing and at a distance from said first-named baflies, said third baffle being constructed to coactwith the firstnamed battles in developing a whirling motion in the air currents during their travel toward the flue, and a receptacle set into said third battle and provided with a screening cover in the plane of said baffle.

' 13. In a cotton seed linter, a casing having an outlet flue and having openings for the admission of air, gin saws for cleaning cotton fiber from cotton seed, a brush cylinder coacting with said gin saws and arranged intermediate the same and said flue, downwardly directed battles terminating short of the bottom of the casing and providing a vertical passage for the downward circulation of the air current induced by said brush cylinder, said battles being arranged, respectively, under said saws and under said brush cylinder, the baflie under said brush cylinder being arranged to dividesaid air current into two streams, one of which passes downwardly through said vertical passage, and the other of which passes directly toward said flue and between said battle and said brush cylinder, and a third baffle projecting inwardly and downwardly from the lower end of the flue and terminating above the bottom of the casing and at a distance from said firstnamed battles, said third baflie being constructed to coact with the first-named baflies in developing a whirling motion in the air currents during their travel toward the flue, and a receptacle set into said third baflle and provided with a screening cover in the plane of said baflie.

14. In a cotton seed linter, the combination With gin saws for cleaning cotton fiber from cotton seed and means for developing a current of air whichcarries away the fiber separated by said saws,- of an inclined imperforate plate arranged immediately be- .low the peripheries of said saws upon which i0 any cotton seed which may escape between witnesses.

JAMES T. WEST. Witnesses:

R. S. LEDBETTER, P. W. WEST.

7 Copies of this patient may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

1 Washington, D. C. 

